Deodorant’s are often classified as one of those TMI topics but let’s all be real for a moment we all perspire and unless you are one of the lucky ones most of us tend to start to stink without the use of deodorant. Since without deodorant I personal start to smell a bit offensive I have to use it and I am always on the lookout for really great natural deodorants because for me it’s really important to use products that aren’t filled with heavy metals, chemicals and other toxic ingredients. The problem is that there aren’t a lot of natural deodorants that really do the job of warding off the offensive smell.
If you read my February favorites you know that I have been loving Caitlin’s Super Natural Deodorant. I talked all about why I love it so head on over to this post to read more because this post is all about how you can win this set of three deodorants yourself. First here are some reasons to love Caitlin’s Super Natural deodorants:
P.S. Little Rock, AR friends you can now find Caitlin’s Super Natural at your local store! Friends who shop at Whole Foods if you’d like to see Caitlin’s Super Natural at your store then next time you’re in request that they sell it there!
Disclaimer: Caitlin’s Super Natural sent me these three 2-oz samples to try. I was under no obligation to post a positive review and I received no further compensation. I simply love this deodorant and I am thrilled to share it with you.
I have to tell you I wrote this post back on Tuesday but the back end of my blog went crazy and just when I clicked “save draft” I lost the entire post. Feeling defeated I gave up on rewriting the post that night so I had to wait until Thursday. Anyways here it is. P.s. If you didn’t catch my first post click here to read before moving on to this one.
Since having Alder (6 months ago!!!) I have really been focusing on myself and my needs because with two children it’s too easy to get wrapped up in just them all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my children but I have learned that to be a great mom I also need to take care of myself. I started with getting Birchbox because honestly I didn’t have any idea what to buy myself so I figured I’d start with samples and it has really helped me to become more familiar with different self-care products before investing a ton of money into them.
Since starting with Birchbox, I have really hit my stride and started to find products that work for me. I haven’t settled into one specific brand and have really been enjoying learning about new and different beauty and self care products. I am also learning about so many different products that I had no idea about, I mean who knew that using oil to take off makeup is a thing or that other oils can actually help balance your pH to help PREVENT breakouts. I’ve really taken this head on and I am really loving taking time for and taking care of myself. I am lucky to have a husband who humors me as I enthusiastically talk about all the new things that I have learned and I even convinced him to get his own Birchbox.
More important than learning about all kinds of new products, I have really learned a lot about myself. I can’t tell you how amazing just washing my face and putting a moisturizer on in the morning and at night can make me feel. I have been taking 10-15 minutes per day to focus on my skincare and I just feel so much better and I recharge myself at night and prepare myself for the day ahead in the morning. I know it sounds crazy but I honestly haven’t done even these little things for myself in ….ever? I know it’s terrible but I have always been one of those people who washes their face in the shower and you could maybe find me using a makeup wipe on the rare occasion but 9 times out of 10, I would just go to sleep with my makeup on.
Speaking of makeup, I have really started to get into wearing it again. When I was in college and in my early 20’s I used to wear makeup regularly but over the past few years I haven’t worn any. It’s not because I am anti-makeup but because I haven’t wanted to invest any time or money into it. I’m going to say this upfront, I wear makeup for ME. I like taking a few minutes for myself and putting on a little makeup and just feeling put together and just a bit of better version of myself. I don’t wear it for anyone else or to hide me, I just like to highlight my best features and it feels good.
On place I recognize that I really need to improve is with my clothing. Seriously, this is my biggest self care flaw and it is something that bothers me every week. My husband is so put together and always looks great. I, on the other hand, just look like a hot mess. I have the hardest time buying clothes for my postpartum body, regardless of what I tell myself. I have bought myself some clothes and have received some as gifts for my birthday but overall I haven’t really invested much into new clothes and am down to about 15 total items that fit. I am feeling frumpy and blah but it’s so hard to invest in a size you don’t want to be and know you won’t stay in. So my goal for this Spring is to complete my race that I am currently training for and I am going to do a Spring/Summer shopping spree after the race in mid-May.
So what does this mean for RWT? I plan on sharing more skincare and beauty of RWT. This will not be the focus of RWT by any means but I think that it is an important part of living a healthy life. It’s taken me years to realize this and I want to share what I am learning and what works for me, with you. I don’t want to oversaturate RWT or my RWT Instagram with skincare and beauty so I have created a separate account @runwithbeauty.
Giveaway
Let’s kick off this new adventure with a giveaway of some of my favorite items as of late. I have curated this box filled with some samples that a few lovely companies have sent me and a few items (for one, the Tata Harper samples) that I purchased. This box will be sent by me. Giveaway is open to US residents only.
I still can’t believe that I am a mom of two and that at 15 days postpartum I am feeling pretty good, especially compared to how I felt at 15 days postpartum with Edith. We have had a busy two weeks and I have shared our first week over on Naturally Family. This week has been just as busy especially now that I am finally feeling up to doing a little bit more moving around, oh yeah and we are moving tomorrow. Don’t worry though I won’t be doing any of the actually moving we have a wonderful group of friends who are going to help us move out and into our new place which is luckily not too far away.
One thing I have learned over the past two weeks is that starting my morning off with a nutritious breakfast is essential. Having two kids is no joke a huge life change and I need to have steady energy in the morning to make it through the day. I know it’s going to be even more important when I am finally cleared to get back to working out and running.
Edith and I have been enjoying coconut, soy or almond milk yogurt with belVita Breakfast Biscuits most mornings and Neil has been enjoying the biscuits as a midmorning snack. These are seriously tasty! The big claim with belVita Breakfast Biscuits is that they provide nutritious steady energy all morning long and you know what I am here to say it’s true! I was skeptical at first but paired with a non-dairy yogurt (or dairy if that’s your thing) and a piece of fruit they are perfect for long lasting energy. As any mom will tell you energy is a must to make it through until lunch and/or naptime – seriously how do toddlers have so much energy?
A few other tidbits about belVita Breakfast Biscuits:
─ 18-20g of delicious whole grain per serving
─ Good source of fiber (3g per serving)
─ Part of a balanced breakfast with fruit and low-fat dairy
─ Crunchy belVita Breakfast Biscuits are available in five flavors including my favorites Blueberry and Golden Oat.
Having (lots) of steady energy throughout the morning and day is going to be essential for me to make sure that I fit my workouts in while taking care of two kids and a house. I want to be a healthy, active and inspiring mom though so I know making time for me is important. My own happiness and my kids inspire me to achieve my goals for the day especially my goals to be active and healthy.
Are you an Oregon local? Hood to Coast (a race on my bucket list) is coming up August 22-23rd and belVita is the breakfast sponsor! belVita will be providing samples of the crunchy biscuits to runners and spectators so head on out and cheer on the amazing runners and pick up your own sample of belVita.
Disclaimer: Whole Foods Market provided me with my own $50 gift card to purchase ingredients for the recipe below. As always all opinions are my own.
Cherry season is here! I have seriously never been so excited for a fruit to be in season. I LOVE cherries and am lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest where a large portion of the cherries and North America are grown. When we lived in Vermont we hardly ever bought cherries, not because we didn’t enjoy them but because they were hard to come by and super expensive.
Currently our fridge is filled with cherries (although I bet most will be gone in the next day or two) because we took advantage of Whole Foods Cherry Fest and the $1.99/lb (!!!!) deal that happened this past Friday. We have been eating them by the handful but since we have so many I have been trying out some new recipes with them including the recipe I am sharing below for Fresh Cherry Limeade.
3/4 cup lime juice, plus 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
Sparkling water
1 lime, cut into wedges
Method:
Put 1 pound of the cherries, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water into a medium pot; cover and simmer over medium heat (reducing heat, as needed, to maintain a simmer) until cherries are very tender and have made a fragrant syrup, about 20 minutes. Set aside to let cool and then purée in a blender with lime juice and zest.
To make each glass of limeade, pour about 1/2 cup of the cherry-lime syrup and 3/4 cup still or sparkling water over ice in a tall glass. Stir well and then top with a small handful of the remaining cherries, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: Serving size: 1 drink, 150 calories (0 from fat), 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat,0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 35g sugar), 1g protein
I shared this with Edith after photographing and we both really enjoyed it (don’t worry I drank 80% of it). I am keeping the leftover syrup in the fridge to make up more Fresh Cherry Limeades this week because they were just well YUM!. With the remaining cherries I’m thinking of diving into a big bowl right now and also topping my bowl of oats with them tomorrow. I’m going to be sad when cherry season ends but until then I am going to eat all the cherries!
Giveaway // $50 Whole Foods Gift Card
Whole Foods has generously offered to provide one reader with a $50 gift card! If you win you might like to try the recipe above or one of these cherry recipes.
Disclaimer: My family was provided with VIP passes for dinner last week. All opinions are my own as always!
Prior to moving out to Portland I had heard about Native Foods but since there are currently none the East Coast (there are however two opening in D.C. soon) we had never been. We were thrilled to first try Native Foods at their Bridgeport location last year but since we don’t make it down to Bridgeport Village very often we haven’t been back. Needless to say I was thrilled to see that they had a new location at the Clackamas Town Center which is close to where we live in SE Portland.
Now the Clackamas Town Center Native Foods doesn’t officially open until May 21st but they have been doing VIP events since last week to give people a sneak peek of their new restaurant and the food. We received VIP passes for last Wednesday night and we were able to sample a variety of items.
Starters:
Butternut Polenta BitesSaigon Roll
Entrees:
Twister Wrap with Side Salad
Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger with Seasoned FriesKids Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Drinks:
Lavender Lemonade & Watermelon Fresca
Dessert:
Peanut Butter Parfait
Thoughts on the Food:
We really liked both of the starters that we ordered and I would definitely get the Saigon Rolls again. I was actually a little surprised I liked them so much but they were really good. As for the entrees neither of us enjoyed the Twister Wrap it was a little boring and by the time I ate my half (we were sharing) mine was super soggy and I ended up eating two bites before removing the “chicken” and eating that on it’s own. The side salad that came with our Twister Wrap was good though!
I really liked the Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger despite it not being what I think of when I want a vegan burger. It isn’t so much of a burger but rather a sliced seitan sandwich, either way I thought it was tasty and I was glad we ordered it because I don’t think I would have had we not been at the VIP event (aka it was free). The side of fries that came with the Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger where meh. They were super salty and just not great fries. Edith enjoyed her mac and cheese and Neil and I both had a bite and thought it tasted good.
Lastly dessert and drinks. Neil chose the lavender lemonade which was SO good I made him go get more because while Edith enjoyed her kids size watermelon fresca I just didn’t love it. As for dessert we all loved the Peanut Butter Parfait and some little munchin decided to devour it before we even got more than two bites. We also got a sticky toffee cake that we took home with us and shared after Edith went to bed. It was so good!
Service:
The service was great! Super friendly, super efficient and helpful!
Overall:
Overall we had a good experience at Native Foods. I have to say we would probably get a meal of lemonade, starters and desserts because those were our overall favorites but there are so many things on the menu to try like the Chicken Run Ranch <–regretting not getting this after hearing other people rave about it. Also umm have you see the colossal nachos? I think we need to try those too!
Giveaway:
Since many of you guys out there don’t have a Native Foods near you they have agreed to send out one of their cookbooks to one lucky reader!
Disclaimer: As part of a FitFluential campaign, I received a Mamma Chia gift set in exchange for my honest review and for the purpose of a giveaway. The opinions shared are my own.
Cha-Cha-Cha Chia!
I just had to. Now we aren’t talking about those pets that were popular in the 80’s/90’s and apparently are still on the market. We are talking about the good stuff. The stuff that you eat. Chia seeds are packed with Omega-3s and are an excellent source of dietary fiber, complete protein and antioxidants, the ancient seed was held in high esteem by both the Mayans and Aztecs for increasing vitality and strength.
Now this isn’t the first time I have talked about Mamma Chia on the blog; the first time was back in March of 2013 when I told you how much I loved the Chia Squeeze. Guess what? We still love them around here. They have become a weekly purchase around our house for Edith and myself (and sometimes Neil if he is lucky enough to get one before they are gone). Edith has one about every other day as a snack (her favorite) and I have 1-2 per week usually as an on the go snack whether we are out at the playground or I am out for a nice long walk.
I usually buy the Green Magic or the Blackberry Bliss but since trying the two new flavors Mango Coconut and Wild Raspberry I am anxiously awaiting their arrival to our local stores. Seriously they are both super delicious.
A new exciting feature from Mamma Chia their new organic bagged chia. You can purchase white or black chia seeds and they are so much fun to use to create your own recipes or just to simple sprinkle on a salad or yogurt or add to a smoothie (what I usually do). If you’re looking for recipe inspiration Janie Hoffman the Mamma Chia founder and CEO just realized a book called Chia Vitality. I haven’t finished reading the book yet but so far it’s a really great read and if you so desire there is a 30 day meal plan that centers around chia seeds and improving your health that you can follow.
The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. All opinions are my own.
I’m so excited to share with you an awesome giveaway that two lucky readers will win!
As you may remember this past October I took on the challenge to participate in Michelle Bridges 12-week Body Transformation 4-week program. This program included one week of prep and four weeks of of meal plans, workouts plans, mindset videos and lots of support from Michelle, her team and other participants.
After just four weeks I could really see and feel a difference in my body and my mindset on fitness and eating. I lost a little weight, my clothes fit better, I had an increase in energy, I got back on track with my workouts and the program helped me to eat more mindfully. You can check out my posts here:
This is one program that I ACTUALLY STUCK TO. While I had a few off days I hoped right back into things and I followed through with the four week program and I saw results. I found the prep week to be essential to my success because it helped me prepare for the weeks ahead. I was able to get myself in the right mindset and ready to take on the challenge rather than just jumping in. The workouts were just what I needed to stay on track with my workouts and I loved how flexible they were as well allowing me to chose my setting (indoors, outdoors, gym). Lastly, it was great to have others to connect with via the forums so that I could ask questions and find support to help me push through the hard days. Now you can take my word for it or you can see for yourself what this program is all about and luckily two readers will have their own chance to experience the full program for themselves!
So the Pre-Season of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation Round 1 is currently in session and open for sign ups! Since Round 1 of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation kicks off February 3rd, 2014 and continues for 12 weeks the giveaway will be open until January 26th so that you have a full week to prepare! The awesome part is that everyone who signs up for Round 1 starts together and and finishes together so you will be taking on this journey with other participants who are ready to get their lives on a healthier track.
Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformationn program is delivered online by Michelle herself, where she will be your trainer, coach, and mentor at a cost much lower than a personal trainer. The cost is $19.99 per week of $199 one-time-payment
Pre-season: Like any great journey, preparation is the key! Michelle has designed 12 Pre-Season tasks to set members up for success and get the most out of their upcoming 12WBT Round 1. Every few days of Pre-Season, a new task will be unlocked for members to complete. Don’t worry these task are EASY to fit in and like I said above they were essential for me to stay on track so don’t overlook them!
Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation is not a one size fits all program. It’s customizable based on your fitness level and goals such as weight loss, running or strength training. It is even customizable for those who are breastfeeding or pregnant!
So here is the moment you’ve been waiting for and I am so excited to have the opportunity to offer 2 of my readers full Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation memberships.
Giveaway ends January 26 at midnight EST. Enter below.
Deodorant’s are often classified as one of those TMI topics but let’s all be real for a moment we all perspire and unless you are one of the lucky ones most of us tend to start to stink without the use of deodorant. Since without deodorant I personal start to smell a bit offensive I have to use it and I am always on the lookout for really great natural deodorants because for me it’s really important to use products that aren’t filled with heavy metals, chemicals and other toxic ingredients. The problem is that there aren’t a lot of natural deodorants that really do the job of warding off the offensive smell.
